Monster Hunter Now: Top Great Sword Build for Max Damage

In the expansive world of Monster Hunter Now, the Great Sword stands out as a formidable weapon, capable of delivering devastating blows to monsters with each swing. However, its size can make it a bit challenging to wield effectively. To craft a top-tier Monster Hunter Now Great Sword build, slowing down your foes is essential. Recent updates have introduced the ability to craft sleep-based weapons using specific monster materials. To fully capitalize on this strategy, you'll need the right skills to trigger sleep frequently. Here's a detailed guide on the gear you need to create the ultimate build.

Best Monster Hunter Now Great Sword Build

While the best Monster Hunter Now Long Sword build focuses on poison, the Great Sword excels with sleep-based attacks. Crafting this build requires materials from a somewhat rare monster, though you can gather most of the equipment from more common foes.

Full Monster Hunter Now Great Sword Build

Weapon

The options for sleep-based Great Swords are limited, but the Frilled Blade is the weapon to aim for. It comes equipped with the Evade Extender skill, enhancing your ability to create distance after dodging. While not crucial for the build, this skill significantly improves your defensive capabilities with the Great Sword. To craft this weapon, you'll need to hunt Somnacanth for the necessary materials.

Helmet & Greaves

The core of this build is sourced from the Nightshade Paolumu, introduced during the first paid event. This monster provides crucial parts and skills, including all levels of Rude Awakener, which boosts your damage by 100% on the first attack to a sleeping monster. Nightshade Paolumu has become more common, but you may need to wait for events or rare spawns in subsequent seasons after completing the main story quest.

Mail, Gauntlets, & Coil

The rest of the build focuses on maximizing the Status Sneak Attack skill, ensuring sleep buildup when attacking from behind. You'll also gain points in Evade Extender and Artful Dodger to enhance your evasion tactics. Tzitzi-Ya-Ku, a more common monster, especially with the paintball tracker, is your target for these parts.

Best Monster Hunter Now Great Sword Driftstone Slots

This build requires relatively few Driftstone slots to unlock its full potential. Ideally, you should aim for five slots in Sleep Attack. However, you can also use them to boost your evasion with Artful Dodger and Evade Extender or enhance the damage dealt to monsters when attacking from behind with Sneak Attack.

• Sleep Attack - Increases the weapon's sleep buildup value. 50 at rank 1 and 150 at rank 5. (Azure only)
• Sneak Attack - Increases the damage dealt to a monster when attacked from behind. 10% at rank 1 and 30% at rank 5. (Pale only)
• Artful Dodger - Makes evading easier to perform. Slightly easier at rank 1 and significantly so at rank 5. (Azure only)
• Evade Extender - Extends evasion distance. Very slightly at rank 1 and massively at rank 5. (Pale only)